‘We're now in the golden years of Portrush': Why golf's Open has the town smiling all over again

Irish Times

19-07-2025

At
Royal Portrush Golf Club
this week, everyone is smiling.
They are smiling in the clubhouse, where members are enjoying the excitement of hosting one of the world's most prestigious sporting competitions, the
Open Championship
, one of golf's four Majors, and there is relief that months of careful preparation have paid off.
They are also smiling out on the course, where about 270,000 spectators have come from around the world to watch – and maybe even meet – their sporting idols.
And those who are totting up the financial benefit of Open week – estimated at hundreds of millions of pounds – are certainly smiling.
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But the broadest smile of all is from 10-year-old Eoin Corrigan, who waves a bright yellow replica of the flag on the 18th hole covered with autographs.
'We saw
Rory McIlroy
,' he says. 'He's the world's best golfer, and he's here. We saw him.'
From Trillick, Co Tyrone, and a member of Bundoran Golf Club in Co Donegal, Eoin is inspired by McIlroy's success. 'He's in the top two in the world, and he's from two hours up the road.'
Co Down's McIlroy was always going to be one of the stars of this tournament; his success in the US Masters this year – making him one of only six people to win a career Grand Slam, winning all four golf Majors – ensured the expectation would be off the scale.
In the Co Antrim town of Portrush, McIlroy is, quite simply, everywhere; a mural of his face made of sprinkles adorns the wall of the ice cream parlour, Morelli's.
Golf enthusiast John McNally was lucky enough to catch McIlroy in action on one of the practice days earlier this week.
'Rory birdied the 17th, and then played the 18th ... Rory managed to hold his and get his birdie three,' he says.
He takes out his phone to play a video of McIlroy surrounded by young fans.
John McNally: 'Golf will help our next generation to feel more proud of where they come from.' Photograph: Freya McClements
For months, McNally has watched the infrastructure of the Open take shape from his home just across the road. The founder and vice chair of the Portrush Heritage Group – and a club member at Portrush – he is in no doubt about the sport's significance to the town.
'Golf has always been the golden ticket for Portrush,' he says.
'Golf is in the blood. It's been part of the development of Portrush going back to that [Victorian] era, and the level at which Portrush is now experiencing exposure since the return of the Open is unprecedented.'
This has brought its advantages.
'If you compare Portrush with other towns, and you look at where we are in terms of development and investment and everything, we're pretty much up in the championship league,' McNally says.
It is easy to see how Portrush has expanded since the course last staged the Open in 2019 when Co Offaly golfer
Shane Lowry
won. There are new restaurants and new places to stay, including new luxury hotels, and others have been refurbished to cater to the golf market.
This has brought benefits, but also challenges.
'The level at which Portrush is now experiencing exposure since the return of the Open is unprecedented,' McNally says.
Property has become more expensive, meaning people who were born and raised in the area are unable to afford a home and are leaving for other towns instead.
'They need to get affordable social housing in Portrush as a priority,' McNally says, as is transportation. 'We can't go on just blindly creating hotels and apartment blocks and not work out a plan for parking.'
But, he says, 'whether we like it or not, it's going to be a bucket-list destination for as long as we're able to come and play golf in Portrush.
'I think the golf will help our next generation to feel more proud of where they come from, and that will effectively secure a good future for Portrush.
'We're now in the golden years, I believe, of Portrush.'
More people agree. Last year 30,000 international visitors came from overseas to play golf on Northern courses according to Tourism NI. The value of golf tourism overall was worth a record £86 million (€99 million) in 2024, it said.
'From a golf perspective, we have seen the amount of money being spent by golfers coming to Northern Ireland increase by 66 per cent since 2019, and the Open has played a very significant part in that,' John McGrillen, chief executive of Tourism NI, says.
There has also been a 'very significant uplift and investment' in the accommodation sector thanks to the Open, estimated at about £100 million in either acquisitions or investment in new properties.
I have no doubt that in the not-too-distant future the Open will take place in Portmarnock
—
John McGrillen, chief executive of Tourism NI
Sheffield Hallam University has predicted that the Open week is worth £213 million to Northern Ireland, made up of £63 million direct economic spend and a marketing boost worth £150m.
'I wouldn't underestimate the other benefits that we get from being able to promote Northern Ireland positively in the international marketplace,' McGrillen says.
'All Tourism Ireland's research would suggest that the key motivator for people to come to the island of Ireland is the landscape, so this is a huge opportunity to show off some of our greatest pieces of landscape to a global audience.'
This gives a boost on both sides of the Border.
'When we're out selling golf in the international marketplace, we sell it as the island of Ireland ... it makes it a stronger offer all round, so it's to our interest to do it collectively,' he says.
'The people who are here to watch the Open, I was talking to guys yesterday who have just come from Portmarnock [in Co Dublin] and are heading to Donegal afterwards.
'The whole of the island benefits from this, in the same way that we will all benefit from the Ryder Cup being hosted in Adare in two years' time.'
He is one of many this week who have spoken confidently about a potential first hosting of the Open south of the Border.
'Looking at it from an all-island perspective, the success in the north will ultimately benefit the south, because I have no doubt that at some point in the not-too-distant future the Open will take place in Portmarnock,' McGrillen says.
This is for the future; for the meantime there is still golf to be played at Royal Portrush and business to be done in the town.
Maggie Sutherland owns Memento gift shop in the centre of Portrush.
'The Open coming in 2019, there's no getting away from it, it had a big impact,' she says.
Maggie Sutherland, right, owner of Memento gift shop in Portrush, with colleague Patricia Quigley. Photograph: Freya McClements
'There was a lot of environmental work and improvements done, and a lot of positivity. It's just really nice for your small town to hear it on the international media.'
As in 2019, some traders have been sceptical about the boost to business in Portrush itself; one change which was welcomed was decision to allow spectators to re-enter the course after leaving. This boosted footfall in the town and helped retailers.
'In the medium to longer term, it's only good for Portrush,' Sutherland says. 'In the short term, sure, there's disruption, you don't get your local people coming in as much because they think it's all golfers.'
Others agree, including local volunteer on the course, David Hanna.
'This is massive for Portrush, and it's not just this week,' he says.
Volunteer David Hanna at Royal Portrush. Photograph: Freya McClements
'Virtually every family is involved – everybody knows somebody who's working or volunteering at the Open. It helps the economy, it helps Portrush.'
In 2019, many reflected on how a major international event such as the Open would once have been unthinkable in Northern Ireland, and saw its return to the North for the first time since the Troubles as evidence of how times had changed.
Now, in 2025, times have changed again. The Open is not an all-but-impossible dream, but a reality – and why shouldn't it be?
Naoimh Quigg, lady captain at Royal Portrush and a former captain of the Irish women's golf team, says: 'I know economically it's fantastic, but, mentally, I think it's worth more for us here than we know.'
To have an 'event of this magnitude' shows 'how far we've come', she says.
'We can host a truly world-class event and we can present ourselves to the world in a positive way,' she says.
'And everybody here – they're so appreciative of the golf and of being here and having the event. Everybody's just smiling.'